The Neighbourhood

Biography

The Neighbourhood (sometimes written as THE NBHD) is an American rock band from Newbury Park, California. Active since 2011, the group consists of vocalist Jesse Rutherford, Jeremiah Freedman and Zach Abels on guitar, drummer Brandon Alexander Fried, and bassist Mikey Margott. They’re known for their blend of sounds from ’90s-style alt-rock, indie, pop, and R&B, and scored their first hit with “Sweater Weather,” a track from their debut album, I Love You.

The Neighbourhood’s sound is definitely eclectic, but its most consistent elements are distorted drums and bass, laid-back vocals from Jesse Rutherford, and the effects-laden licks of guitarists Jeremy Freedman and Zach Abels. The band’s unique take on indie rock has earned them numerous accolades throughout their career.

Get to know The Neighbourhood by reading below.

instruments played

bass

drums

guitars

Vocals

Also Known As

The NBHD (abbreviation)

Genres

Alternative rock, indie rock, pop rock, R&B, indie pop

Labels

Columbia

Origin

Newbury Park, California, U.S.

Website

thenbhd.com

Years Active

2011 - present

Wiki Link

How Did The Neighbourhood Form?

The band's members first started making music together in Los Angeles in August of 2011. They decided to call themselves "The Neighbourhood" instead of using the American spelling of the word because there was already an active band called "The Neighborhood." The group's original drummer was Bryan Sammis, who departed in 2014 after their first few releases. Bryan was replaced by Brandon Fried, who continues to play with the band.

The Neighbourhood’s Early Days

The group's first releases were the singles "Female Robbery" and "Sweater Weather" in the first quarter of 2012. These songs were initially released independently and produced by Justin Pilbrow. However, after the band got signed to Columbia Records, the songs were re-released as part of The Neighbourhood's debut album, I Love You. After releasing two EPs, I'm Sorry… in August 2012 and Thank You in December 2013, the band was part of the lineup at Coachella 2013. They dropped I Love You on April 23, 2013, and the album debuted at number 39 on the US Billboard 200. "Sweater Weather" became the track's most successful song, going 6x Platinum in the United States and earning over a billion plays on Spotify, topping the charts in June 2013.

The Massive Success of "Sweater Weather"

Zach Abels of The Neighbourhood has described the story of "Sweater Weather's" creation as follows: "One day Jesse [Rutherford] was at my house and I was playing guitar. And he said, 'Hey that's pretty cool, let me record that.' And it just so happened to be "Sweater Weather." When we got done writing the song, when it was all said and done we were like 'Okay this is pretty good we should keep writing songs." Frontman Jesse Rutherford has expressed affection for the song, describing it as one of his favorites in the band's discography. Since its release, it's become something of an anthem for bisexuality, somewhat due to the track’s lyrical content. After the band dropped "Sweater Weather," they had several tour dates with Imagine Dragons, serving as the opening act for multiple concerts throughout 2013.

New Music Throughout the Late 2010s

The band released their second EP, The Love Collection, in late 2013. After going on tour with The 1975, JMSN, and Lovelife, The Neighbourhood started working on a mixtape that ended up being titled #000000 & #FFFFFF. The mixtape features guest appearances from several rappers, including YG, Dej Loaf, French Montana, Danny Brown, and G-Eazy. The band made the project, which was hosted by DJ Drama, available as a free download. Late 2015 brought the group's second studio album, Wiped Out!, which features the singles “Prey” and "R.I.P. 2 My Youth." The album went Gold in the US and reached the top of Billboard's alternative chart in the states. On March 9, 2018, the band's third studio album, The Neighbourhood, was released via Columbia. 2018's album features production work from Lars Stalfors, Mighty Mike, Dylan Brady, Davie Sitek, and others, and it was supported by the single "Scary Love." The band released an accompanying music video for the track starring Tommy Wiseau of The Room fame on the same day as the album. After the release of their self-titled record, the band had a song featured on the soundtrack for the game Death Stranding. The track, called "Yellow Box," became one of the most successful songs from the game's accompanying album. They also put out Hard to Imagine the Neighbourhood Ever Changing, a reissued version of some of their earliest EPs, in late 2018.

The Band's Fourth Album and Blowing Up on TikTok

On September 25, 2020, the band released Chip Chrome & The Mono-Tones, their fourth full-length album. Around the time of that album's release, several of the band's early hits started blowing up on TikTok. The most notable of these older songs to find new success on the platform was "Sweater Weather," which saw a massive increase in streams, earning around 5 million plays a week in late 2020. Other older songs from the band's discography, including "Daddy Issues," saw a similar increase in streams thanks to going viral on TikTok throughout October and November 2020.